Doorknob construction



Oct. 28, 1952 H, YOUNG 2,615,745

DOORKNOB CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 21, 1949 Hansen Youz: 6 M J;

A'r-roanws Patented Oct. 28, 1952 2,615,745 DOORKNOB CONSTRUCTION."Herbert Young, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to National Brass Company,Grand-Rapids, Mich, l

' a corporation of Michigan .1. I Application November 21, 1949, SerialNo. 128,636

' 1 Claim. 31. 292348) 1 1 This invention relates to novel improvementsinthe construction of a type of door closing and locking mechanism,known in the .trade generally as key-in-the-knob locks for .doors, uponwhich there has been previously filed in the Patent ,.Oifice," anapplication by Herbert Quigley; Serial No. 47,438, having a filing dateof ,September'2, 1948, and a second application by.';myself havingSerial No. 115,245, having a filing date of September 12, 1949. h I Themechanism as shown in the first mentioned application has beenredesigned so that substantiallyall parts thereof are made from fiat orsheet metal stampings, reducing weight of m'ateriaLIproviding amplestrength, and greatly increasing 'the economy of manufacture. My priorfiled application referred to shows the substitution of a knob structureand knob shank and rose escutcheon assembly made'of stamped metal partsand disclosing novel methods of assembly thereof.

In the production of the sheet or stamped metal parts in largequantities for use in the key-in-the-knob lock, tolerances as todiameter are readily held'to the necessary practical limits, but as tolength cannot be thus held and at the same time maintain the othertolerances, except at a prohibitive cost. If the tolerances as to lengthare not maintained, there is an impractical excess lost motion which, ifnot cured, renders the lock unsalable and, therefore, impractical. a

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a verysimple, yet wholly effective, novel structure which takes care of andcompensates for the inability to economically maintain close lengthtolerances in the sheet metal stamped parts used. In practice, a lostmotion take-up washer is used which, in five difierent slightly varyingthicknesses, eliminates excess lost motion. A selected thickness ofwasher is used in assembling any lock of the type noted, whichthicknesses of the washer varies in different assembled locks, inaccordance with the variances from acceptable tolerances over designeddimensions which, if they could be held to close limits without theadditional cost, would make this novel improvement, so far aseliminating excess lost motion is concerned, unnecessary.

In addition to the elimination of any undesired or excess lost motion,the take-up washer further acts as a bearing between a fixed and aturning part in the mechanism, the fixed part being secured to the doorand the turning part to the knob shank. Additionally, such washer closesan opening which exists between such fixed part attached to the door,and the knob shank without which closure, chips of wood which areproduced when the lock is installed on a door, or other undesired formsof material might or would be liable to get into such opening andinterfere with the operative parts of the lock;

An understanding of the invention may be had from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which H k Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in thelongitudinal'vertical section, of theknob and-asso ciated structure, theknob being adapted to carry,

housed within it, a key operated and actuated lock. 1

Fig. 2 is a perspectiv'e'view of the inner end of the knob shank, shownfragmentarily, the washer ofwhich varying thicknesses are used, and aretaining or holding member, maintaining the washer in operativeposition to bear against a fixed part of the escutcheon assembly andhold it in dirt excluding relation, and e Fig. 3 is a transversevertical section, substa'n tiallyon the plane of line 3- -3 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction indicated.

Like reference charactersrefer to like parts in the different figures ofthe drawing.

The door, fragmentarily indicated at I, in the installation of the lockhas a transverse opening 2 bored therethrough, at the opposed open endsof which the knob assemblies of the lock are located, with a mechanismlike or substantially equivalent to that shown inthe first mentionedapplication for patent between such assemblies. The outer end 3 of theknob, preferably willbe a sheet metal shell, substantially closed at itsinner side by the member 4 also of sheet metal; andlengthwise of' andwithin a knob a key 01)- erated lock may be located. The rose assemblyincludes an outer thin metal shell, having a sleeve 5 which at its innerend is flared outwardly to make a base 6, the inner edges of which bearagainst the outer side of the door I. An inner member of the roseassembly includes a second sleeve 1 having the same longitudinal axis asthe sleeve 5, and telescopically received therein. Said sleeve 1 iscontinued in a base plate 8, substantially of ring form, the innerdiameter of 3 bearing against which the lost motion take-up washer ofselected thickness bears.

Inside of the sleeve 1 is a knob shank I!) of a cylindrical form whichextends through the knob and is connected at its outer end to the outerknob portion 3. The knob shank [0, near its inner end, which inner endextends partly into the opening 2 through the door, has two opposedslots or openings ll diametrically opposite each other, and is alsoslotted at 20 from its inner end outwardly for a distance, as shown, fora purpose which has no bearing upon the present invention but is fullydescribed in my prior application. The inner sleeve l2- within the knobshank I is operatively connected with the key actuated lock and it,likewise, being no part of the present invention, is not furtherdetailed in structure or use.

A spindle receiving member [3, usually square in cross section becausethe spindle between knobs normally is of suchcross section, is locatedaxially in alignment withthe knob shank l0, and at its outer end extendspartly thereinto. It has a plate 14 at its. inner end which extendsacross the inner end portion of the knob shank l0 and has projectionsentering; slots 2.! shown at the inner end of the sleeve l2. Itisreleasably held in place by a split ring (5, seated in a groove at theinner end portion of the knob shank [0.

A divided spring ringit of flat wire surrounds the knob shank It. At oneside it has an inwardly extending radial lug I! which enters one of theslots at H. Diametrically opposite where the ring is split or divided ithas two radial in.- wardly extending lugs, l8, the combined Width ofwhich is substantially equal to the width of the lug i 1, both, enteringthe opposite slot H. The retaining ring [6 is secure upon the knobshank, but may be removed by springing the retaining ring 16 outwardlyas is evident.

Before such holding or retaining ring I6. is assembled in place,afiat'washer IQ of a selected thickness, such thickness being dependentupon what would otherwise bethe lost motion longitudinally of the knobswith respect to their rose assemblies, is located over the knob shank sothat after assembly it is between the retaining ring and the shoulder 9previously described.

It, is evident that variations in the length dimensions ofparts used inthis look which are assembled together may be compensated for byselecting the proper thickness or gauge of the washer Hi. When the partsare assembled, as in Fig. 1, such washer not onl eliminates undesirableexcess lost motion, but provides a bearing against the shoulder 9, theturning ofthe knob shank moving the ring 16 with it, which will rideuponv and bear against the adjacent side of the washer L9. It furthercompletely closes the annular opening shown between the knob shank l0and the enlarged portion at the inner end of the sleeve 1 which connectsit with the base plate or ring 8. Such closure of the annular openingprevents the entrance of any foreign matter which otherwise might enterand interfere with the operation of the lock. The washer between thefixed inner member of the rose assembly and the retaining ring on theknob shank, which in practical manufacture is made in five thicknessespermits the manufacture of the lock at greatly reduced cost, asotherwise manufacturing the parts to close tolerances would increasemanufacturing expense to a degree such that it would be prohibitive. Theinvention, though simple, therefore is of a very useful and practical,character.

The invention is defined in the appended claim and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

In a structure as described, a knob shank; an escutcheon memberadaptedto be fixed to, a side of a door through which the knob shankextends; a retaining member at. the outer side and at the inner end.portion of said knob shank; a filler washer surrounding the knob shankbetween said retaining member at the inner endportion of said knob shankand said escutcheon member and adapted to bear thereagainst. and saidfiller washer being one of a plurality of thicknesses selected tosubstantially fill the space between said retaining member and thebearing portion of, said escutcheon member against, which the washer isadapted to bear; said retaining member comprising a ring of fiat metalparted at one side of the ring, and at said. parting having radiallyinwardly extending lugs located in edge to edge contact;v said ring atits opposite side having a radially inwardly extending lug, and saidknob shank having openings in opposite sides for reception of said,lugs.

HERBERT" YOUNG.

REFERENCES erran- The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name i Date 843,047 Voight Feb. 5, 19071,634,342 Shinkez July-5, 1927 1,763,693 Ferris June: 17', 19302,052,053 Menges: Aug. 25,1936 2,185,295 Floraday- Jan. 2,1940

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country. Date 102,283 Australia Oct. 18, 1937

